Congratulations Cubs on 2008 NL Central title

[imb]

Jocketty gone

 

Yost back

 

Thanks, guys.

[Brian]

I really don't think even Yost can screw up the 2008 Brewers [barring injury].

[TruffleShuffle]

I really don't think even Yost can screw up the 2008 Brewers [barring injury].

 

what's that in your sig? Brenly making fun of Texas for losing to Kansas State?

[Guest]

I really don't think even Yost can screw up the 2008 Brewers [barring injury].

 

what makes everyone so sure the brewers will be better next year than they were this year? Braun and Fielder won't be better - where are they upgrading so dramatically?

[Brian]

I really don't think even Yost can screw up the 2008 Brewers [barring injury].

 

what's that in your sig? Brenly making fun of Texas for losing to Kansas State?

 

from the end of the Division celebrating coverage on CSN, Len told Chicago to keep partying and he did that

[Brian]

I really don't think even Yost can screw up the 2008 Brewers [barring injury].

 

what makes everyone so sure the brewers will be better next year than they were this year? Braun and Fielder won't be better - where are they upgrading so dramatically?

 

SP should be better, full year of Gallardo, Capuano might bounce back. Chance of upgrade in the OF in the Mench/Jenkins spot, Bill Hall might bounce back.

[Guest]

I really don't think even Yost can screw up the 2008 Brewers [barring injury].

 

what makes everyone so sure the brewers will be better next year than they were this year? Braun and Fielder won't be better - where are they upgrading so dramatically?

 

SP should be better, full year of Gallardo. Chance of upgrade in the OF in the Mench/Jenkins spot, Bill Hall might bounce back.

 

I think sheets for a full year would be a big factor but that doesn't seem all that likely. I guess I don't see them becoming a dominant team unless they upgrade.

[Banedon]

I really don't think even Yost can screw up the 2008 Brewers [barring injury].

 

what makes everyone so sure the brewers will be better next year than they were this year? Braun and Fielder won't be better - where are they upgrading so dramatically?

 

SP should be better, full year of Gallardo, Capuano might bounce back. Chance of upgrade in the OF in the Mench/Jenkins spot, Bill Hall might bounce back.

 

Should, might, chance, might...:)

[anabiono]

who cares we will have arod

[CubmanPi]

who cares we will have arod

:cheers:

[Pushfrog98]

who cares we will have arod

:cheers:

AND PRIOR!!!1

[Anomalied]

I really don't think even Yost can screw up the 2008 Brewers [barring injury].

 

what makes everyone so sure the brewers will be better next year than they were this year? Braun and Fielder won't be better - where are they upgrading so dramatically?

While I don't know if Fielder will have the same caliber season he had in 2007, Ryan Braun will certainly post bulkier numbers playing a full season. I don't know... Gallardo is the real deal, and him with a healthy Sheets (unlikely) is as good of a 1-2 as anyone in the Central.

[brewfandave]

My thoughts are that Fielder will be at about the same, but Braun's numbers will be better (absolutely, not necessarily proportionally) over a full season.

 

Hardy has really shown his level of play (about a .780 OPS overall), while Weeks was only starting to flash real potential in the later months of the season.

 

Corey Hart, I think will also continue to improve. I'm just really, really impressed with the way he goes about hitting, baserunning, playing defense...

 

Pitching is key for the Brewers - if they can get a good reliever or two and get a full season out of Gallardo, Villanueva and Sheets, well, I think they're a near-lock for NL Central champs.

[Guest]

My thoughts are that Fielder will be at about the same, but Braun's numbers will be better (absolutely, not necessarily proportionally) over a full season.

 

Hardy has really shown his level of play (about a .780 OPS overall), while Weeks was only starting to flash real potential in the later months of the season.

 

Corey Hart, I think will also continue to improve. I'm just really, really impressed with the way he goes about hitting, baserunning, playing defense...

 

Pitching is key for the Brewers - if they can get a good reliever or two and get a full season out of Gallardo, Villanueva and Sheets, well, I think they're a near-lock for NL Central champs.

 

you mean braun's rate stats will be the same, right? I think he will regress a little actually. didn't the brewers do better before his call-up ironically? I just don't braun for a full season as a big difference in record given the second half of the season. I am sincere when I ask though - everyone seems to think the brewers will be better and I am trying to see what they see. I don't see them improving beyond a 90 win team.

[Lockes Eye Scar]

Braun ended up with a 994 OPS this year... if he ends up within 50 of that next year, I'll wear a stupid Brewers av

[Keener98]

My thoughts are that Fielder will be at about the same, but Braun's numbers will be better (absolutely, not necessarily proportionally) over a full season.

 

Hardy has really shown his level of play (about a .780 OPS overall), while Weeks was only starting to flash real potential in the later months of the season.

 

Corey Hart, I think will also continue to improve. I'm just really, really impressed with the way he goes about hitting, baserunning, playing defense...

 

Pitching is key for the Brewers - if they can get a good reliever or two and get a full season out of Gallardo, Villanueva and Sheets, well, I think they're a near-lock for NL Central champs.

 

Yea If the Cubs can get a full year from Wood and Prior starting they are locks for NL Central Champs. Depending on Sheets to pitch a full year is like Cubs fans depending on Prior and Wood.

[SouthSideRyan]

The problem for Milwaukee is going to remain defense unless their young guys take a leap defensively.(Very possible for young guys to improve in this manor.) It's a problem because of the offense the 4 infielders bring, you really can't replace him with a defensive guy, but having 4 negatives on your infield is just hell on your pitchers.

[treebird]

The problem for Milwaukee is going to remain defense unless their young guys take a leap defensively.(Very possible for young guys to improve in this manor.) It's a problem because of the offense the 4 infielders bring, you really can't replace him with a defensive guy, but having 4 negatives on your infield is just hell on your pitchers.

 

someone at bp (goldman?) was talking about this and basically said there's no way you're going to go get guys who play good d to replace the offense you're getting here, so you basically need to just get strikeout pitchers and score 850 runs a year

 

easier said than done in regards to the strikeout pitchers, of course

[SouthSideRyan]

 

easier said than done in regards to the strikeout pitchers, of course

 

That Suppan contract is probably going to kill them because of this. In a vaccuum that's a nice contract, on a poor defensive team, it's trouble.

 

The bad news is that Gallardo, Parra, and Villanueva all have nice K rates. Though Parra can't stop getting injured.

[XZero771679666304]

My thoughts are that Fielder will be at about the same, but Braun's numbers will be better (absolutely, not necessarily proportionally) over a full season.

 

Hardy has really shown his level of play (about a .780 OPS overall), while Weeks was only starting to flash real potential in the later months of the season.

 

Corey Hart, I think will also continue to improve. I'm just really, really impressed with the way he goes about hitting, baserunning, playing defense...

 

Pitching is key for the Brewers - if they can get a good reliever or two and get a full season out of Gallardo, Villanueva and Sheets, well, I think they're a near-lock for NL Central champs.

 

I think Fielder and Braun will produce about the same next year as this.

 

Where i differ with you is that I would bet that Hardy regresses, and would argue that Hart is not going to get much better at all.

 

The mistake that a lot of people are making is looking at 2007 as a "growing pains" year. The reality is that you guys got about as much production out of your young corps as you are ever going to get. Fielder and Braun both produced at an exceptional level, and Hardy produced probably above his talent level (as evidenced by his second half regression, I have money that says J.J. is a .710-.720 OPS guy when all is said and done). And while it may be possible that Weeks will produce like he did at the end of the season, I think it would be an optimistic stretch to assume he will.

 

Having that extra month of Braun will help in 2008, though I would bet he will end up closer to his .976 post-ASB OPS than his +1.000 blazing start.

 

Your pitching will almost certainly be better, but I think Sheets has to regarded as injury-prone now, and can't be counted on for a full season.

 

 

Also, don't forget how woefully under productive the Cubs lineup was pre-September, or what a bad start the Cubs got off to.

 

The Cubs aren't going to start 22-31 again, and barring something totally weird, are going to score a lot more runs.

 

The Brewers may be favorites next season, but you guys aren't going to run away with anything.

[XZero771679666304]

 

easier said than done in regards to the strikeout pitchers, of course

 

That Suppan contract is probably going to kill them because of this. In a vaccuum that's a nice contract, on a poor defensive team, it's trouble.

 

The bad news is that Gallardo, Parra, and Villanueva all have nice K rates. Though Parra can't stop getting injured.

 

Or Sheets. Parra may end up being like Angel Guzman.

 

I really think they have to find some way to get Braun off the infield. He is just brutal. If I were them, I'd return Hall to 3B (though he'll probably not produce like a 3B ever again), put Braun in LF and shift Hart to center.

 

Is Koskie still under contract?

[brewfandave]

I think all Brewer fans are sort of hedging their bets with Sheets, expecting him for about 20-25 starts, but a full season of Gallardo and Villanueva should be exciting. Those kids are really good.

 

Hardy, yeah, Hardy might regress. There's not much info on him due to the injury history, but I think his overall numbers will be about what they were this year, but not a great deal lower.

 

I think Braun will drop a bit in average, but go up a bit in OBP. His defense will improve slightly, but probably not enough to warrant being in the infield. Fielder will, likewise, just about maintain his numbers - everybody predicted he'd be here eventually, just not so soon. One thing that worries me is when Jason Lane tackled him at the end of the season - high ankle sprains can be trouble.

 

Weeks had something ridiculous like a .475 OBP in the second half, and was hitting well. He'd been bothered by a mid-2006 wrist injury, the effects of which usually persist for just about a year, which coincides with his hot later months.

 

Corey Hart is the man. He really is. He's clutch (if you believe in clutch), has great power, decent eye, great speed - the Brewers organization is very high on him. While Fielder Weeks and co. were catching eyes and gaining followers, Hart quietly won team and league MVP awards in the minors, and his upward progress has been steady and, well, upward.

 

Corey Koskie's contract is up this year, and I think he retires. I think Bill Hall gets dealt, as well as two or three of: Claudio Vargas, Dave Bush, Chris Capuano and Manny Parra, probably for some relief pitching, and I think the Brewers go for an outfielder in FA.

[SouthSideRyan]

Dave any hints on where the Brew payroll would be next year?

[Banedon]

Corey Hart is the man. He really is. He's clutch (if you believe in clutch), has great power, decent eye, great speed - the Brewers organization is very high on him. While Fielder Weeks and co. were catching eyes and gaining followers, Hart quietly won team and league MVP awards in the minors, and his upward progress has been steady and, well, upward.

 

I really like/dislike Hart. I'm more afraid of him than Braun or Fielder. The Cubs seemed to handle those two ok. We never quite got a handle on Hart though.

 

Sunglasses at Night should play every time he steps to the plate though. It should be mandatory at all ballparks.

[brewfandave]

Dave any hints on where the Brew payroll would be next year?

 

Good question. I'm guessing it goes up, but not by more than about five million. Jenkins is gone ($9 mil), I'll bet they try to get rid of Mench ($3.4), maybe Bush (arby eligible), Vargas (about $3 mil), possibly Bill Hall ($4-6 mil).

 

The only guys in arbitration getting anything will be Weeks, Hardy and Capuano, I think, but I don't think any will get a lot this year.

 

It's all kind of a crapshoot, though, because the Brewers have a few marginal guys that, packaged together could get something good, but otherwise are kinda useless, and some of them are arby-eligible. I think.

 

I'm not the most knowledgeable about this, and I certainly don't have any information - this is just my gut feeling. Melvin has said other GMs have already asked about all his starting pitching, and Bill Hall seems like he's in exactly the spot where Doug Melvin could really throw him into a good trade.

 

I'm probably wrong, though - I usually am in speculating.